circulated it,
and caused the general belief in its accuracy which now prevails all
over the country, and doubtless led to the destruction of three mission
stations immediately after. The Boers, 400 in number, were sent by the
late Mr. Pretorius to attack the Bechuanas in 1852. Boasting that the
English had given up all the blacks into their power, and had agreed to
aid them in their subjugation by preventing all supplies of ammunition
from coming into the Bechuana country, they assaulted the Bechuanas,
and, besides killing a considerable number of adults, carried off 200 of
our school children into slavery. The natives, under Sechele, defended
themselves till the approach of night enabled them to flee to the
mountains; and having in that defence killed a number of the enemy, the
very first ever slain in this country by Bechuanas, I received the
credit of having taught the tribe to kill Boers! My house, which had
stood perfectly secure for years under the protection of the natives,
was plundered in revenge. English gentlemen, who had come in the
footsteps of Mr. Cumming to hunt in the country beyond, and had
deposited large quantities of stores in the same keeping, and upwards of
eighty head of cattle as relays for the return journeys, were robbed of
all; and when they came back to Kolobeng, found the skeletons of the
guardians strewed all over the place. The books of a good library--my
solace in our solitude--were not taken away, but handfuls of the leaves
were torn out and scattered over the place. My stock of medicines was
smashed; and all our furniture and clothing carried off and sold at
public auction to pay the expenses of the foray. I do not mention these
things by way of making a pitiful wail over my losses, in order to
excite commiseration; for though I feel sorry for the loss of lexicons,
dictionaries, &c., &c., which had been the companions of my boyhood,
yet, after all, the plundering only set me entirely free for my
expedition to the north, and I have never since had a moment's concern
for anything I left behind. The Boers resolved to shut up the interior,
and I determined to open the country."

* * * * *

Mr. A. McArthur, of Holland Park, wrote on March 22nd of this year:--

"When looking over some old letters a few days ago, I found one from the
late venerable Dr. Moffat, who was one of the best friends South Africa
ever had. It was written in answer to a few lines I wrote him, informing
him that the Transvaal had been annexed by the British Government. I
enclose a copy of his letter."

Dr. Moffat's letter is as follows:--July 27th, 1877.

"My dear friend,

"I have no words to express the pleasure the late annexation of the
Transvaal territory to the Cape Colony has afforded me. It is one of the
most important measures our Government could have adopted, as regards
the Republic as well as the Aborigines. I have no hesitation in
pronouncing the step as being fraught with incalculable benefits to both
parties,--i.e., the settlers and the native tribes. A residence of more
than half a century beyond the colonial boundary is quite sufficient to
authorize one to write with confidence that Lord Carnarvon's measure
will be the commencement of an era of blessing to Southern Africa. I was
one of a deputation appointed by a committee to wait on Sir George
Clarke, at Bloemfontein, to prevent, if possible, his handing over the
sovereignty, now the Free State, to the emigrant Boers. Every effort
failed to prevent the blunder. Long experience had led many to foresee
that such a course would entail on the native tribes conterminous
oppression, slavery, _alias_ apprenticeship, etc. Many a tale of woe
could be told arising, as they express it, from the English allowing
their subjects to spoil and exterminate. Hitherto, the natives have been
the sufferers, and might justly lay claim for compensation. With every
expression of respect